Lester Chambers was born and raised with his twelve siblings in Lee County Mississippi. His Baptist parents encouraged all thirteen of their children to sing in the local church choir. This early passion for music continued when the family moved to Los Angeles in the early 1950’s.

Around the time the Beatles left England for America Lester and his brothers ventured into LA’s fabled Ash Grove coffee house and began singing their special blend of gospel/folk music. An old guitar, bass and those heavenly voices led by Lester on harmonica and cowbell soon had folks lined up down Melrose in West Hollywood.

Eventually leading them to New York City. Along the way Lester recalls seeing hundreds of colorfully dressed, long haired kids hitchhiking away from their homes. This Hippie exodus inspired his brother Joe to pen the words to:

Time Has Come Today:

Time has come todayFor young hearts to go their wayCan’t put it off another dayThey say we don’t listen anywayTime has come today

New York was quick to embrace this unique psychedelic, rock ‘n’ roll, gospel group and Columbia Records scored a huge pop hit with a first ever 11-minute single. Time Has Come Today, the title track became an anthem of the era. Like their good friends, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone, they were filling arenas with both white and black kids for the first time.

A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, he was at Newport Folk Festival when folk hit the scene and quickly became an integral voice of the folk scene, saturated with gospel rock. Lester’s music delivers rich delicious bluesy rock with a folk rock sound.

The Mud Stompers are a spiritually-guided group of professional musicians, Lester Chambers, David Aguilar, Kenneth Roy Berry, Baron Chase, Marcia Migét and Kenny “Mo” Susan. The music is something that comes up from within, melding Blues, R&B, Funk, Jazz, and Rock & Roll steeped in gospel spiritual roots.

Eric Thompson took up the guitar as a teenager in Palo Alto in the early 1960’s, at a time when very few folk guitarists were playing more than basic rhythm guitar.

Among his earliest bands were the Black Mountain Boys (with Jerry Garcia and David Nelson) and Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions. He quickly became nationally known as an exceptional lead flatpicker, winning the World Championship Cup at Union Grove, North Carolina with the New York Ramblers (which also included David Grisman and Winnie Winston).

David Nelson has managed the seemingly impossible. He has remained true to his musical vision and integrity without becoming outdated or archaic in the process.

Nelson, an important figure in the musical vanguard of the influential Haight-Ashbury music scene, that spawned the Grateful Dead. His ties to Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter extend beyond that with The Wildwood Boys, a bluegrass band they formed together in 1962 in Palo Alto, CA. After the Dead got together, Nelson played guitar on three pivotal albums, Aoxomoxoa, Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty.

Around the same time, Garcia bought a pedal steel guitar, which he enjoyed playing with John Dawson, a friend from the Palo Alto days. They formed the New Riders of the Purple Sage with Nelson and the Dead’s Mickey Hart and Phil Lesh.

Nelson who sang one of New Rider’s biggest hits, a cover of bluegrass great Peter Rowan’s “Panama Red,” stayed with the group for 13 years, but left in 1982 and starting writing songs with longtime pal Robert Hunter, among others. Along the way, he was a member of the Good Ol’ Boys, featuring bluegrass legends Don Reno, Chubby Wise and Frank Wakefield. He also played in the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and is featured on their 1988 album, “Almost Acoustic.”

Then in 1994, Nelson formed the David Nelson Band where he showcased his plethora of songs. In six years, DNB released four CD’s. Three are live efforts: 1995’s Limited Edition, 1997’s Keeper of the Key, and 1999’s High Adventure in Japan, which is also a concert video.

In 1999 Nelson released the band’s studio debut, Visions Under the Moon which was recorded in Portland, OR’s Aladdin Theater. Things have come full circle with Nelson at the helm of The New Riders. Guitarist David Nelson!, who started his musical career playing folk and bluegrass in the Palo Alto area, most notably as a member of The Wildwood Boys with Jerry Garcia. David went on to be a founding member of the New Riders of the Purple Sage and tours regularly with his own band, David Nelson & Friends, as well as with NRPS.

Art House Gallery & Cultural Center2905 Shattuck AveBerkeley CA 94705510-472-3170
May 1st Friday Night 7-10PM
Door opens at 7PM
SHOW is 7:30-10PM
ALL AGES & Wheelchair Accessible
Admission $20.00 at door
There are a few more advance sales tickets at PayPal.
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